Found (The Crescent Chronicles #3) Read online

I laughed. “I guess so. But how about giving me what I want now?”

  “And what’s that?”

  “You.”

  “At your service.” Once he started, my whole world spun. It was so much more intense than usual. It was perfect—or beyond perfect, and I knew I’d never be whole without him. If saving Jess meant leaving Levi, it also meant losing a part of myself I was positive I could never get back.

  “I’m yours.” The words came out as a moan.

  “I’m yours too.” He kissed me, and we spent the rest of the night in front of that roaring fire, watching the starlit sky through the only cave skylight I’ve ever seen.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Keeping my boy up all night, huh?” Jared took a seat next to me at the breakfast table. We were the only ones there. I wasn’t sure what the Laurent clan was up to, but I had a feeling it had something to do with me.

  “Like you don’t know every detail? I saw you guys talking before I went up to take a shower.”

  “He didn’t tell me anything. He said it was an amazing night that’s going to stay between you and him.”

  I smiled. I couldn’t help it.

  “I take it you found it amazing too? Sometimes you guys act like an old married couple, but other times you act like you just met—all giddy over sneaking away together or something.”

  “Which time is it now?”

  “Both.” He poured syrup on his pancakes.

  The breakfast spread was seriously impressive. I’d initially only planned to have some fruit and yogurt, but when the server offered to make me a Belgian waffle, I couldn’t resist.

  “How is that even possible?” I spread my napkin on my lap.

  He shrugged. “How would I know? I’m just the innocent bystander.”

  “Here’s your waffle, miss.” The same server set it down in front of me.

  “Thanks so much.”

  “Would you like some whipped cream?” he asked.

  “Yes, that would be great.” I didn’t look up as I answered. I expected Jared to be ready with a snarky comment.

  Jared only smiled before diving back into his pancakes. I took it as my opportunity to move the conversation onto him.

  “One day you’re going to fall in love, and I hope I’m around to see it.” I took a bite of my waffle. I’d made the right decision with the whipped cream.

  “Are you planning on going somewhere?”

  “No, but I might be really old by then.”

  “Oh, Princess, you’re such a joy to be around in the morning.”

  “She is even more of a joy when she just wakes up.” Levi slid into the seat next to me. “Sorry that took so long.” He picked up a fork and took a bite of my waffle.

  “You can get your own food.”

  “Be glad I’m not feeding you,” he teased. I didn’t want to remember how I’d had to put up with him feeding me an entire meal once at a Society event.

  “Are you going to tell me what you and the rest of your family have been up to?”

  “We’ve been talking about you.” He took another bite of my waffle. I was about to argue that he shouldn’t have taken a piece coated in whipped cream when he put it in my mouth instead of his own.

  “Mmm, that’s so good.”

  He leaned over to whisper in my ear. “You really like whipped cream. I need to remember that.”

  I nudged him. “What have you been saying about me?”

  “Relax, love. We were just making plans for the day.”

  “Plans?”

  “You’re going with Grandma to see her seamstress.”

  “Is your mom going?”

  “No. She wasn’t invited.”

  “Oh, why not?” I needed time alone with Georgina, but I hoped Helen didn’t mind.

  “Because my grandmother thinks you two need alone time.”

  “When am I going?” I was both anxious and nervous. I hoped I could handle Georgina on my own.

  “As soon as you’re done here.”

  “Has she eaten yet?”

  “Hours ago. They were making bets on whether we’d be back for lunch.” He grinned.

  “On that note, I’m going to get ready.” I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Wait, what Pterons are going with us?”

  “A few of the guys that work here.”

  “Oh…okay.” I took a final bite of my waffle, savoring the sweet taste.

  “I’ll meet you back down here in ten minutes.” I leaned over and kissed Levi. “See ya, Jared.” I waved as I headed back upstairs to grab my purse. I needed to mentally prepare myself for more time with Georgina.

  ***

  I waited on the porch with Levi and Georgina. It was an awkward few minutes, but I knew things were probably going to get a lot more awkward once Levi wasn’t around to act as a buffer. I was about to take a seat on an uncomfortable looking chair when a limo slowly pulled up to the front of the house. Apparently, we were taking an even fancier vehicle on this trip.

  “Have a lovely day, Levi.” Georgina embraced Levi before heading down off the porch. “Come along, Allie. We have things to do.” Georgina didn’t turn to wait for me.

  “Have fun.” Levi kissed me on the cheek before I followed Georgina down. I turned and waved at him before sliding into my seat. I was positive the ‘have fun’ comment was sarcastic.

  The last time I’d been in a limo was for prom. I thought it was a little over the top for a trip into town to see a seamstress, but I kept that thought to myself. I straightened out my black pencil skirt, making sure it fell correctly over my thigh high boots. I hoped I looked presentable enough. Georgina certainly hadn’t been a fan of the jeans look I’d gone with the day before.

  We’d barely made it out of the long, winding driveway when Georgina called to the Pteron driving. “There’s been a change of plans. Take us to the late Mrs. Laurent’s bungalow.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  I looked at Georgina with shock.

  She gave me a warning glance that shut me up while she hit the button for the privacy shield.

  As soon as it was in place, she turned to me. “This divider is Pteron hearing proof, but we still need to be careful.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “You don’t think I know why you’re here? You want to know how it’s possible to have attracted two different Pterons so young.”

  I sat up straighter. “Do you know why?”

  “I think so, but I need more information. I needed to get you away from everyone.”

  “So you’re going to help me?”

  She leaned over and looked me straight in the eye. “I’ll help you, but only because I know you’re going to make the right decision. You will not hurt my grandson or this family.”

  I nodded.

  “Is your grandmother still alive?”

  “My mom’s mom?” I remembered how interested Georgina had been in Mom’s family.

  “Yes. Is she?”

  “No. She passed away when I was a sophomore in high school.”

  Georgina straightened her hair with her hand. “That makes this trickier, but I think we can figure it out on our own.”

  “Is there something that can help us at your mother-in-law’s?”

  “Yes, several things.”

  “Okay.” I settled back against my seat. This was exactly what I’d been hoping for, but I was still terrified.

  “Did you like your tour of the grounds last night?” She suddenly changed the topic. I was sure she knew exactly where Levi had taken me.

  “Yes. It was informative and romantic.”

  “It is romantic, isn’t it? He waited seven years to meet the literal girl of his dreams.”

  “Even if I was twelve when he had the dream…” I mumbled.

  “It was a dream of the future…you were eighteen.” She opened her purse, searching through it for something.

  “I know. You should have seen how his eyes lit up when he told me about it.”

&nbs
p; “He’d been waiting a long time to see that dream actually occur…” She pulled out a hard candy, unwrapping it carefully before she put it in her mouth. She didn’t offer me one.

  “It sounds like you’ve been talking about this more recently than when he was fifteen.”

  “He came to see me in August. You weren’t speaking to him unless you had to, and he was beside himself.”

  “Really? He came to you about it?” I didn’t bother to hide my surprise. I couldn’t imagine Levi going to his grandmother for girl advice.

  “I think he wanted to come back to the cave…”

  I fidgeted with my skirt. “He mentioned he did come back to see it.”

  “He asked me whether it was possible that he could have messed up so badly that now the dream wouldn’t happen.”

  “Why was he so fixated on the dream—on one particular night?”

  She bit into the candy, making a cracking sound. “It wasn’t the night, but what it symbolized.”

  “Just that it symbolized we were together?”

  “Just? How is that ‘just’ anything? The bond between a royal Pteron and his mate is stronger than any other.”

  “I know.” I did. What Levi and I had was intense, so intense it scared me.

  We sat in silence for the rest of the thirty-five minute drive. The telltale throbbing started, and I knew I was in for another headache. Hopefully, I’d get back to Levi before it got too bad. I still hadn’t mentioned the headaches to him. He’d probably overreact, or if he found out he made them better, he’d want us glued together.

  The limo pulled up out front of a beautiful house that certainly didn’t look like a bungalow. Georgina instructed the driver and his partner to wait for us outside. They went in first to check the house and then left.

  The entryway was simple, but the living room it opened up into was anything but. Crown molding, wood floors, and tall arched ceilings were a few highlights from the formal room.

  Georgina gestured for me to sit in a plush armchair. “Coffee, tea, brandy?”

  “Brandy? It’s ten a.m.”

  “So? You may need something strong for this talk.”

  “Brandy, then.” I don’t know why I said yes. I hated drinking straight liquor.

  She poured two glasses and took a seat on a chair across from me before pulling a worn book off the shelf.

  “Do you come here a lot?” It dawned on me how strange it was that the house still felt lived in if the owner died seven years before. The furniture was neat and uncovered, and the wood floors were spotless.

  She smiled. “I like to get away every once in a while.”

  I didn’t press it further. There was no reason to. “What’s that book?”

  “It’s a Pteron history book.” She brushed a layer of dust off the velvety black cover. Evidently the book hadn’t been used in a while.

  “There are books about Pteron history?”

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t there be?”

  I shifted in my chair, trying to get more comfortable. “Isn’t it all secretive?”

  “These books aren’t easy to come by.”

  “I’d imagine.”

  “How much do you understand about how the royal lines work?” She set down the book on her lap.

  “I know there are a few ranking families but that the Laurents have been in charge of the American region for a long time.”

  “You’re correct. We’ve been in power for generations. That’s generally how it works. The only way the line usually changes is if the first born son fails to mate and have an heir.”

  “Usually? I thought that was the only way.”

  Georgina opened the book and flipped through the pages.

  “Here, read this.” She handed me the heavy book.

  “The Enchantress?” I read the fancy script title at the top of the page.

  “Yes. That section.” She leaned back in her chair. “Read it aloud.”

  “Every few generations, there have been changes in lines that deviate from the usual failure to bear an heir. In each case, a human woman has been the cause.” I left my finger on the spot I was on. “How could a human change anything?”

  “Keep reading.”

  “This woman is said to attract the male heir of each line in a way that cannot be denied. Whoever this woman chooses will become the new king. Three of the great Pteron wars can be traced back to such a woman. She is called an enchantress even though she is purely human.”

  I felt sick. “You think I’m one of these?”

  “I don’t see any other explanation.”

  “So that means.” I didn’t want to say it. “So Levi’s only with me because of this weird Pteron lust?”

  “Of course not!” Georgina was out of her chair before I could process it. She bent down over me. “No. He loves you. Don’t confuse attraction with love. He may have first been attracted to you because of what you are, but that doesn’t change the deeper feelings he has. He’s been in love with you for years.”

  “No, he hasn’t. He had a dream. He was in love with the idea of me.” I should have been more concerned with the revelation that I was actually some sort of Pteron magnet, but all I could think about was Levi’s feelings for me.

  “That’s not true. If you look deep into yourself, you’ll realize that.” She patted my shoulder and sat back down.

  “But this doesn’t fit. I already picked Levi. Why is it still an issue?”

  “I wondered that myself, until I found this.” She pulled a smaller book from her purse. “This is my Pteron history book.”

  I took the book and turned to the page she had marked with a red ruby tasseled bookmark. “Once the enchantress has accepted a ring and lays with the chosen heir, the others will no longer feel the pull, and order will be restored.”

  “How does this help?”

  “Were you really choosing Levi as the next king?”

  “No…but I did accept the ring.”

  “I know that.” She leaned forward. “Think about it though. Did you accept the ring knowing you were choosing him as the next king?”

  My head started to spin, and I readied myself for the headache I knew was coming.

  “I’ve been researching this since I found out about your past boyfriend. It seems this was far more common years ago but not in modern history. I have a two-part theory about this.”

  “What is it?” I braced myself on the arm of the chair.

  “The first part is that in modern society, the families are more spread out. Five hundred years ago, the Pteron heirs would have interacted with the same human women. Now they barely speak…”

  “So you’re saying if I’d only met one Pteron heir, we never would have known I was anything different…”

  “Exactly.”

  “So it was just random chance…”

  Georgina paled.

  “What is it?”

  “This does not leave the room.” She sat back in her seat, closing her eyes for a moment.

  “Of course.”

  “That’s not good enough. I need you to swear.”

  “To swear? Is that really necessary?” How serious was this?

  She nodded.

  “I swear I won’t tell.”

  She let out a deep breath. “It wasn’t random.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I don’t believe in chance encounters. There’s fate, and then there’s man-made interference.”

  “Which one is this?”

  “A little of both.”

  I sipped my brandy. It tasted as awful as I expected.

  “Robert knew about Levi’s dream. He’s the one who told Carol to perform the dream spell.”

  “Carol? Levi’s great-grandmother?”

  “Yes.”

  “He said it was for Levi’s own good, but I think he wanted to make sure Levi would take a mate. He was terrified our period of rule was coming to an end. I think that’s why he was always so hard on Levi…”


  I tried to swallow a lump in my throat.

  “I have one more passage to show you. Turn to the next page.”

  I hesitantly turned the page. “The heads of family are often the first to sense the enchantress. An heir must see her face-to-face to trigger the response.”

  “This brings me to my second theory.”

  It came to me suddenly. “Back then, the fathers would have sensed it and watched who the other heirs were with.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Are you suggesting…do you think Robert knew?”

  “A little over a year ago, Robert came out here to talk to his father. He was panicked. I wasn’t privy to the conversation, but from what I gathered, it had to do with Levi finding the right mate.”

  “But how could Robert have figured out it was me?”

  “I need to ask a question, and I want an honest answer.”

  “Okay.” She was telling me way more than I expected. I’d tell her anything she needed to know.

  “When did you first sleep with your high school boyfriend?”

  “On our six month anniversary. We were only together a year… It was fall of my senior year.”

  “Right when Robert came here…”

  “But how could…”

  “He has spies. They must have known.”

  “But something about all of this is bothering me. How do we know Toby is an heir? He just said his mother’s maiden name. Levi didn’t recognize his name. Wouldn’t Levi have known who Toby was?”

  “Not if the Blackwells were trying to hide his identity…usually the line passes through a son—”

  “But if there was no son…and Robert figured it out.”

  “He must have. What made you first come down to New Orleans?” She gripped the arm of her chair.

  “My dad bought the hotel, and I came down to work for him.”

  “Do you know why he bought it? Did he usually buy urban real estate?”

  “He owns a lot of hotels…but most of them are more the resort style.” Then it hit me. “Did Robert have something to do with him buying it?”

  “I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised. He needed you to meet Levi before things went too far with Toby. He must have been afraid Toby was ready to take it to the next step.”

  “The next step? That’s what Toby meant…”

  “What? What he meant?”